Lake Louise, Alberta – Three outstanding individuals were recognized for their contributions to the ski industry at last week’s Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA) 50th annual conference.
- Fred Bosinger: recognized posthumously with the 2018 Jimmie Spencer Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Darcy Alexander (General Manager, Sun Peaks Resort LLP): recipient of the 2018 Jim Marshall Leadership Award.
- Christian Theberge (General Manager, Shames / My Mountain Coop): 2018 recipient of the Lars Fossberg Excellence Award.
“Each of these awards recognize excellent in our industry,” explains Christopher Nicolson, President & CEO of CWSAA. “Both the Jim Marshall Leadership and Jimmie Spencer Lifetime Achievement award recipients have provided leadership and mentorship to the entire industry over decades. The Lars Fossberg Award celebrates character, overcoming adversity, and achieving success often in mid-career.”
“The exceptional field of quality nominations should make the members of our association very proud. I know the awards are especially valued by recipients because they have been nominated and selected by their industry peers.”
This year’s conference was attended by over 600 ski industry professionals.
About the Recipients:
Fred Bosinger – Jimmie Spencer Lifetime Achievement Award
The ski industry lost a great man last year.
Born in Switzerland, Fred began skiing at the age of 11 – apparently in his youth he was often found skiing down the street, rather than the local ski hills. In the 60s, Fred moved to Montreal to work for Mueller lifts and later Expo ’67. His love of skiing brought him to Rossland, BC in 1972 to manage Red Mountain. Hosting the Canadian Championships in 1972 at Red Mountain drew Fred into the organizational world of the sport. In the early 80’s Fred and Margaret moved their young family (Pete, Rob, and Anna) to Banff. Where they became integral pillars in the community.
Fred joined Sunshine in 1983 as the Maintenance Manager, and later grew to be general manager and Vice President. Fred was an instrumental member of the Sunshine family, who was critical in transforming Sunshine into the resort it is today. Among his many notable accomplishments were hosting and staging of the 1985 & 1986 F.I.S Worldcup Women’s Down Hill and Super G events. The Sunshine World Cup races were essential for building the volunteer base that was required for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games.
The Jimmie Spencer Award was awarded posthumously to Fred Bosinger. Fred’s son Peter Bosinger accepts the award from Jimmie Spencer and Steve Paccagnan.
A very competitive skier and racer himself, Fred championed the CWSAA Competitor Pass program from 1987 to 2010. He served with distinction as a CWSAA director, and in 2004 was honored with the CWSAA Jim Marshall leadership award.
Fred retired in 2005, but stayed active in the ski community. He was a volunteer for ski racing at all levels (from Nancy Greene to the Olympics).
In 2016 Fred was inducted into the Canadian Rockies Ski Racing Hall of Fame, and was honored at the Lake Louise World Cup with the 2017 Winterstart Award.
Darcy Alexander – Jim Marshall Leadership Award
Darcy Alexander is the recipient of the 2018 Jim Marshall Award.
Darcy Alexander has spent the last thirty years in a variety of prominent resort management and development roles that have helped shape the outdoor recreation industry in Western Canada as we know it today. The leadership and knowledge provided by Darcy has benefitted government, private business, residents, and visitors alike to our beautiful part of the world.
Darcy has always been a forward thinker and leader in ski sector, back to the late 1980’s when his industry journey began at Sunshine Village in Banff, followed by time with the Alberta government as ski program coordinator. Darcy then moved west to work with Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners, as a planning consultant on resort projects around the world.
When Darcy joined Tod Mountain in the early 90s he led the redevelopment project into Sun Peaks Resort. This was a massive undertaking requiring a great deal of vision and commitment. The evolution of Sun Peaks Resort under the leadership of Darcy has been viewed as one of the great success stories in the industry.
Darcy is also highly regarded for the mentorship and assistance he has provided to the ski industry on a consistent basis throughout the past four decades.
“Darcy believes that a rising tide floats all boats and he has played a significant role in creating the environment that has allowed Western Canada to thrive and become a key global destination in the ski market,” Erik Meertens
Christian Theberge – Lars Fossberg Excellence Award
Hildur Sinclair congratulates Christian Theberge on receipt of the 2018 Lars Fossberg award.
Christian Theberge is an ambitious and resourceful leader in the ski industry and embodies the spirit of the Lars Fossberg Excellence Award. Christian is a graduate of the Ski Resort Operations and Management program at Selkirk College.
Following his graduation he had a successful tenure as General Manager of Phoenix Mountain.
In 2011, Christian Theberge took on an enormous challenge of saving a community ski area when he accepted the position of General Manager at My Mountain Coop, also known as Shames Mountain in Terrace BC. As a community-owned ski hill that needed a significant revitalization, over the past six years Christian has led the replacement or renovation of much of the mountain’s infrastructure, primarily funded through sponsorship and fundraising.
Christian is highly respected among his staff, the community and the ski industry. “Christian says there are no problems, only solutions,” Robin Cecioni, My Mountain Coop. “He is the one we always call first for any work or personal problems at any time of the day or night. This community’s dream and success wouldn’t be a reality if it wasn’t for his dedication.”
For more information the CWSAA Awards and previous recipients visit the CWSAA Awards webpage.
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